This walk lets you dip in and out of three villages: Tadley, Silchester and Pamber Heath.

The walk

1. The walk starts from the car park off Tadley Common Road. Cross over the road and walk across Tadley Common to meet Pamber Heath Road. At the junction, cross Silchester Road and continue walking until you see a gravel track on your left.

2 .Follow the track for 200 metres, then turn left at the footpath between two fences (entrance beside ‘Silver Birches). The path continues across open country. Take the steps down into the woods crossing over two footbridges with a short climb. On reaching the top, continue straight on along the path which bears slightly left. At the next junction turn right along the path as it descends down through the wood to a bridge. Cross over the stream as the path climbs, passing caravans on the right until you reach a gravel track. Follow the gravel track for 275 metres until it reaches the road (Soke Road).

3. Cross Soke Road and follow the path through the Industrial Estate to the end. Take the path to the left and continue along this for 100 metres then turn right through a gateway. Turn left and continue on for 400 metres along the edge of Benyon’s Enclosure (Englefield Estate), with Park homes to your left. On reaching the road (Welshman’s Road), turn right and follow the line of the telegraph poles for 685 metres.

4. Turn right onto the track after the sub-station into Benyon’s Enclosure which is an active timber plantation. Continue along the Right of Way, which runs straight through the enclosure, ignoring all tracks. Please keep your dogs under close control. Continue for 640 metres to the crossroads of tracks. Turn left for a further 365 metres emerging from the forest onto a hillside. Follow the track round and down passing between two lakes. Follow the track round to the right as you climb out of the valley.

5. At the top the path now passes through the earthworks of an old fortification before re-entering the forest. Continue along the track for 180 metres to the ‘T’ junction, turn left along the track and follow this for 550 metres until you reach the pair of estate houses to your left.

6. Turn right at the road (Kings Road) and follow this for about 50 metres to the ‘T’ junction. Continue straight across to the tarmac road. After 30 metres, the track forks; keep to the left fork. The right-hand fork passes behind Silchester Methodist Chapel.

7. At Heathercote House turn right onto a short track leading to a gate to Silchester Common. Continue along the track over the Common to the corner of Silchester Road and Impstone Road.

Cattle graze on the Common; please make sure you keep all gates closed after you!

8. Continue through Pamber Heath village to point (2) on the map and retrace your steps back to the car park.

About this walk

This edited walk has been supplied by the Tadley and District History Society. The full version, with historical facts, is available in their publication Tadley Tracks, Tadley Facts. Photography by Alex Flahive and Ian Burn.